Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the first African American cardinal, presided over a special Mass at Mt. Calvary Catholic Church in Forestville, Md.
The priests would pray for the souls of the people whose bodies they owned, according to author Rachel Swarns. Her new book, “The 272″ is part of recent scholarship uncovering how the Catholic church maintained and benefited from slavery.
“Without the enslaved, the Catholic Church in the United States as we know it today would not exist,” SwarnsSomerville’s 15-year son old son now attends Georgetown Preparatory School, which was once part of Georgetown University. If lineage is established, the family could be entitled to“We’re facing each other,” he said. “We’re trying to forgive one another.”
The Archdiocese of Washington, which encompasses 139 parishes and 90 schools across D.C. and five counties in Maryland, serves a large population of Black Catholics. Part of that mission includes the institution acknowledging its harmful history, said Wendi Williams, the archdiocese’s executive director of cultural diversity and outreach.In January, volunteers discoveredbelonging to enslaved Black people buried on the grounds of a Catholic church in Bowie.
“In the Catholic church, we do believe in contrition,” Williams said. “But first, it starts with recognizing a wrong being done.” At the Mass, worshipers swayed and clapped, some donning bright colors and hats. The choir director’s red, green and yellow painted nails flashed when she flung her hands in the air, asking her singers for more energy. “Put your hands together!”“For elected leaders and ordinary citizens, that recalling the first Juneteenth, they may recommit themselves to fighting the evil of racism with the love of Christ,” one intersession read.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
'Our Chicago: Freedom Music' celebrates Juneteenth 2023 and the power of Black musicBlack Americans have felt the freedom to express themselves through music long before Juneteenth 1865.
Read more »
Pierce College welcomed Juneteenth celebration hosted by ‘Black in the Valley’A young entrepreneur ‘Juneteenth’ in Woodland Hills is put on by ‘Black in the Valley’ and Zawadi Cultural Collective.
Read more »
San Diegans celebrate end of Black slavery in America during Juneteenth events across the countyA myriad of events were held Saturday ahead of the Monday holiday that commemorates the day when the last enslaved Black people learned of the Emancipation Proclamation in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865
Read more »
Juneteenth taught me what it meant to be Black in Texas (Opinion)Every time you left a Juneteenth celebration, you took with you new stories, new...
Read more »
DuSable Black History Museum hosting Juneteenth celebrations MondayThere will be live music, panel discussions, hip-hop yoga, horseback rides, and arts and crafts activities along with food tastings and giveaways.
Read more »
For Many Black People Behind Bars, Juneteenth Comes With Joy and GriefThe day serves as a reminder that while chattel slavery was abolished, a new form continues in the U.S. prison system.
Read more »